Tuesday’s TPS Report: Robinson Sweater

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

We’ve seen a lot of keyhole dresses, but I can remember very few keyhole sweaters, at least like this. And in winter white, too! I like the mix of wool and cashmere, as well. This may be one of the few times that I would be in favor of a nude-for-you camisole instead of a stark white — it would really kill the edge. It’s $326 at ShopBop (and Forward by Elyse Walker has it in black). A.L.C. Robinson Sweater

But Meb would bill so many more hours. He’s done with his morning mid-distance training run, before you’ve finished 4. He’s at his desk while you’re still having your protein smoothie in your kitchen. He’s faster and therefore can bill way more. His weekend 20-miler only takes him 2 hours, while it takes you four hours. More time to bill.

I got mine years and years ago (16 years ago?) from Victoria’s Secret and still wear it.
I got my husband one from J.C. Penney in 2001 and it still holds up.
Sorry I’m not going luxe here – these are warm and are clearly quality!

The microfiber or fleece ones aren’t good for after bath or shower – I find they are not absorbent. They hold in cold water against your skin. Yuck! Terrycloth from LLBean or Land’s End has been my go-to. Warm and absorbent and washes well.

I found that none of the women’s bathrobes I tried on were warm or long enough – so I got a men’s bathrobe from somewhere like JCPenney and rolled up the sleeves. I grew up with my mom stealing my father’s robes for the same reason, even though she’s a foot shorter than him – the men’s robes were also a better deal for what you got price wise compared to the women’s.

I love the Natori one! I’m the opposite of OP – always super warm (even in the winter) after my shower and then add blowdrying to the routine and would love something longer like the Natori, but breathable.

If you want a robe for out-of-the-bath, I have a terry cloth one from brooks brothers. It’s a men’s small and fits my 5’10” self but if you are on the shorter side you’ll swim in it. The mens’ was much better (thicker, right length) than the thin women’s. It is bulky which is awesome for a true BATH robe, but not ideal for around-the-house couch snuggling etc.

Was just thinking this morning how I was wishing my towels from Restoration Hardware would wear out already because I’m tired of the colors. But 8 years in, not one of them shows any signs of wear. So my recommendation would be a turkish cotton robe from RH.

I have also had a Victoria’s Secret cotton terry bathroom (so soft on the outside, terry on the inside) for 6 or 7 years and it’s in terrific condition.

Husband and I will be in Boston for our first wedding anniversary. Do y’all have recommendations for a good (trending toward high-end) restaurant where we could celebrate on a Saturday night? Thanks in advance!

The Top of the Hub is nice for a special occasion. It isn’t a secret locals only type of place and is quite expensive but the views are gorgeous and the place has a great upscale feel for an anniversary dinner. It is on the top of the Prudential Building near Copley Square.

Also seeking mini-vacay recommendations – headed to Newport, Rhode Island for a wedding this weekend, and I’ll have several hours to myself. Recommendations on where I should walk, visit, eat, shop? TIA!

I’m from Newport! It’s a great town, you’ll have fun. Can I ask where you’re staying? I would definitely recommend a walk on Cliff Walk. I’m not sure how much of it is open, it was hit hard by a hurricane and there have been ongoing repairs. But even if only 1 or 2 miles are open, it’s a beautiful walk. You can also walk down Thames St (not pronounced like it is in Britain, but how it is spelled) and down to King’s Park which is right on the water. As for restaurants, I would definitely recommend Malt or Norey’s for dinner and drinks. Norey’s has lot of really cool and hard to find (at least in Newport) beers. Both restaurants are on Broadway. Breakfast at Franklin Spa is killer or you can do coffee and scone/croissant at Empire Tea & Coffee, they have 3 locations in Newport. Island Books on Spring St is a really cute local book store. There a lot of nice local stores on Spring St and I think it gets overlooked for Thames a lot. Newport Wine Cellar and the adjoining Le Petit Gourmet are great places to get wine and cheese if you want to snack in your hotel or B&B. Let me know if you need any more recommendations, I love helping people explore Newport.

We just came back from a trip to Newport. We went to dinner at Mamma Luisa on Thames St. and Siam Square in Middletown and liked both a lot. If you like antiques definitely check out the big antique mall, armoryantiquesnewport.com.

Yea, that’s a good point, the mansions are cool. If it’s not too cold, you can rent bikes and bike down Bellevue (where all the mansions are) and on Ocean Drive. You can stop while biking to tour the mansions.

Ooh, those are some good recs. There is a possibility that we will have to go to Vancouver for New Year’s so I was thinking Canada but I complain about Scottish weather. Perhaps Charleston would be fun.

Honestly, I’d avoid New York at Christmas if you’re going right at Christmas. It’s so, so crowded around Christmas that it’s pretty miserable (but it’s nice if you go just after Thanksgiving so you still get all the decorations but you’re in between the big Thanksgiving and Christmas crowds). Charleston’s lovely, though (unless you want some snow at Christmas)

The city or the province? There’s tons of threads on Montreal already. I love love love Quebec City, although the closest to winter I’ve gone there is around March. It is a super laid back town with lots of cute walking areas and amazing food (will provide recs if you want). I would be concerned that lots of places will close for Christmas, though.

ETA: Yes, it will be freezing cold. Also will likely require a layover in Toronto/Montreal if you want to fly from CA or London.

Quebec City will be cold but beautiful. Might have a lot of places closed because it’s a smaller town. Montreal is beautiful at Christmas-time with all the lights around downtown. But will also be freezing.

My parents honeymooned at the Chateau Montebello (back then it was called Seigniory Club). Then we (kids and members of the wedding party) celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary there. It is lovely and outdoorsy and the food is wonderful. (Although I also recommend the frites at the local diner.) It is a short drive to the Ottawa airport.

New Orleans would be a good option for Christmas. It’s comparatively warm. The hotels and streets are beautifully decorated, there are free events, and many restaurants are open for the traditional Reveillon dinners.

I’d go Quebec city over Montreal for holidays. The old buildings and cobblestone are such a perfect backdrop for all the decorations and festivities. That being said it’s pretty cold and snowy if it’s anything like last year there will be 2+ feet of snow. Canadian snow removal crews are excellent though and city will be very functional and travel friendly

How bad would it be to drive up to Quebec City from the states during December? I really want to do a winter Quebec trip, and I have snow tires on a rear wheel drive car, but not sure how bad it will be.

Rear wheel drive is awful in the snow. I am very accustomed to snow driving and I wouldn’t risk the drive you are talking about even in a different car. It’s just too likely there will be snow and therefore stressful drive/significant delays. Better chances with flying unless there’s a super crazy blizzar whereas even a fair mild storm makes dr ing a PITA.

Not bad, I’ve never had a problem. Roads are always clear, except when there is an actual snow storm and even then there will be many plows on the road. You will likely not have to drive on actual snow and things don’t come to a halt with snow in Canada unlike a lot of american cities. Most of it is dependent on your comfort with snow driving. Quebec has a law that mandates snow tires so other drivers will be well prepared.

I was just thinking about how that coat would look on my size 12 frame. Not great, I think. It would look great if I were going for a 1940s pin-up type feel, but not as modern and polished as she looks. Oh well.

Yay! Kat, I love this sweater, but the keyhole is some thing that Frank would be lookeing at and askeing where the key goe’s! FOOEY on men like him! Does the HIVE have peeople like him that alway’s think everything is related to sex and boobie’s? And he is MARRIED! His wife is very nice, but I think he does NOT even try anything shady like this with her. Speakeing of boob’s, the manageing partner’s brother asked me over to watch his new 65 inch TV — he was watcheing FOOTBALL, and thought that I would be impressed with the SIZE of his flat screen. Well it was big, but as I told him, it is NOT the size that count’s but the quality. He seemed to think I was talking about sexueal thing’s but really, I was talking about dot’s on the screen — I think they are called PIXELLS. He did NOT know the pixel size, and I actualy thought that my own 42 inch screen was MUCH more colorful then his bigger screen. Now he is goeing to tell the manageing partner that I was not impressed with his TV. So what? My dad agree’s that my TV is probabley better b/c once you get big screen’s like his, the screen get’s fuzzier. Does anyone in the HIVE know about this stuff?

Anyway, Noah texted me to tell me about dinner with his family tonite. We are meeting over near the Hospital b/c Noah has a shift. There is an Italian place he know’s on Madison Ave that is OK–I think I once ate there, but do NOT remember what I ate. I think mabye Alan brought me there, but it realy was along time ago and I try NOT to think to much about him. FOOEY! Anyway, NOAH want’s to be sure I look good, so he asked me to wear a short black dress with 4″ pump’s. I told him it was chilley out so why can’t I wear nice slack’s and a sweater? He said he wanted his DAD to see my leg’s. I wonder why he is paradeing me around like some kind of live stock? Is it b/c the family come’s from Kansas City? I realy do NOT want to move there after we are married, but Noah has alot of family tie’s there. So I guess I will wear what he want’s. If I can MARRY him, I could stop workeing and have KID’s! YAY!!!!!

I broke out the tights for the first time today, and my new knee high boots (Uggs but the nice-looking kind). I find that with the 1.75″ or 2″ heel, my feet are getting a bit more tired when I stand at my desk. Can anyone recommend a good fatigue-reducing mat for the office to put in front of my standing desk?

We essentially stand on a concrete slab in our kitchen as we put Italian porcelain tile atop it. We use great gel mats and have no problems. I am certain you can find them in other sizes than our “runners.” They are sold by the maker as well as Bed-Bath-Beyond. I originally found them through an ad in the back of Southern Living magazine. Gel Pro mats. We have ones with a bit of basketweave texture to them. Sometimes crumbs get stuck there, but I doubt it would be a problem in the workplace. Oh, well, you can NOT vacuum them.

20 x 36, 20 x 48

I know they are more expensive than traditional “door mats” from big box hardware and decorator shops, but we cook nearly exclusively (as opposed to eating out), so it was an investment in our comfort.

Job-jump advice needed: I was recently promoted within my company, and am excited about the possibilities of my new position. However, the promotion was promised over a year before it happened, and was not the title I wanted. I haven’t been able to shed my old duties yet, as they have not backfilled for me three months in, so I’m still mostly excited about the possibilities of the new position instead of happy that I’m making them reality.

Today, a colleague at another organization closely affiliated with mine reached out to me about a new position he’s creating. It’s related to work I’ve done, but would be a big change. I’ve worked closely with the person, and like his work style. I’m sending my resume, but feeling nervous. I want to disclose to my current boss, but am concerned about looking at other opportunities so soon after the promotion.

The colleague at other org works very closely with me, my boss, my bosses’ boss, and so on up the ladder. In my organization, disclosure is the norm when looking at moving within the organization, and would apply to moving to other organization, as well. Maybe I wait until further into the process, but I definitely disclose at some point.

Internal and external moves are not the same. Wait until you’re much, much further in the process. Like, you have a signed offer letter. Maybe give 4 weeks notice rather than two if it’s really weighing on you. But, I wouldn’t do anything above or beyond that.

No matter how close you are with your boss, how many happy hours you guys go to, how much gossip you share, how much your boss has mentored you and been there and understood when you were having a rough personal time and encouraged your growth in the company, your boss is not your friend.

You are being paid for a service. It is a business transaction. If you think you’d get a better salary/duties elsewhere, you should absolutely go for it, and you don’t owe anyone ANYTHING, particularly when the job you were supposed to be given a year ago still hasn’t happened, regardless of title or salary. You look out for yourself, and you know telling your boss you’re applying elsewhere wouldn’t fall under that. Because honestly, no one else is going to look out for you if it’s not in their best interests.

Don’t disclose that you are looking for another job. I did that mistake so that I can leave amicably and train a possible replacement. I did it due to the suggestion of another previous manager of mine whom I trusted. I regretted it soon after. The manager to whom I disclosed that I was looking to move out took away all work from me that very day. I still didn’t have a job to move out to. He started treating me like I didn’t exist. I was not invited to the meetings, I was not given important updates and he became so grumpy and hostile. It became so terrible that I became desperate to accept any job that came my way. Currently, I am looking for another job. I just keep silent on that issue. My manager may have a clue but I don’t want to confirm it and make my life difficult than what it is now.

I posted this over the weekend, but I only got one response (thank you!) so I’m reposting in case anyone has any more advice for me:

I lost the belt from my J.Crew wintress puffer. I emailed customer service, but they have been amazingly unhelpful, suggesting that I buy another coat from them (!) in order to get a new belt. This coat doesn’t work without the belt and I can’t fathom buying an entirely new coat for want of a nylon belt (which is probably worth all of ten cents). Does anyone have any suggestions?

I’m so incredibly disappointed with J.Crew’s customer service — it seems like this would be something Nordstrom would remedy with no issue. On top of the quality issues they’ve been having, this puts me over the edge. I’m out.

Could a tailor or some other person make one for you? Perhaps in a fun accent color if you it seems like you might not be able to get an exact match to the fabric of the coat. I’m not sure if you can buy nylon like that in fabric stores, maybe you’d have to special order it. My other suggestion is to search for a thick belt that is meant to go around the waist and go up a size or two to accommodate the bulk of the coat.

Srsly? Gimme a break. You lost something and you’re giving up on them because they won’t replace it? I’m sure that coats and belts are made as a set , and they actually don’t have spares lying around. I’m honestly stunned by how entitled this is.

You lost your belt. Buy a new, non matching one, and deal with it. Maybe take better care of your things.

Really? A lot of clothing manufacturers have spare parts for this reason. For example, I’ve lost buttons from Brooks Brothers coats, and if the coats are still in season, they have spares. Perhaps my expectations are too high for J.Crew, but given that they are a large company with tremendous manufacturing capabilities and pride themselves on customer service, I would have expected them to have spare clothing parts, and I’m disappointed that they don’t. It’s one more disappointment in a series of disappointments. I don’t think this makes me entitled, and certainly doesn’t warrant such sarcastic response from you, anonymous internet commenter.

Not suggesting that J.Crew replace my coat, at all. Disappointed that they don’t have spare parts (or have not tried very hard to help me locate one), which many manufacturers do. And incredulous that their suggestion was that I BUY a new coat from them.

My husband had a similar belt issue (he had a belted Lands’ End commuter parka, bought for $200+). It wasn’t new, at least 3-5 years old. The belt broke, so he called LE customer service asking for a new one – just like the OP. They didn’t have any spare belts lying around, so they had him send the coat back for a FULL REFUND.

Agree that broken and lost are different. But in a 5 year old coat, a broken belt strikes me as normal wear and tear…nothing lasts forever. I still think they went beyond the call (which is why they’re Lands’ End).

Many, many, many companies would either simply replace the belt or offer to sell her one for a reasonable replacement cost. It’s really not that uncommon.

Companies frequently give things like buttons and belts and cinch tabs and handles (for purses) to customers that have lost/broken/ruined their belongings. I don’t think that her expectation that a company that charges 5x what their products are worth would help her find a belt and sell it to her for a reasonable replacement price.

So, a few, on par with Lands End in terms of return policy (in my opinion), that tend to have very similar product from year to year and cater to an older crowd (who will be wearing that coat for years on end).

And then there is Jcrew crew, with a pretty standard 90 return policy (unless you bought it Final Sale), has a few standard pieces but is frequently changing style offering and caters to a younger crowd that is way more likely to be changing their wardrobe frequently.

Maybe when Jcrew was more the catalog company known for quality it would have been more of an expectation, but the Jcrew of the last 5-6 year doesn’t have that vibe to me.

If she wants the exact belt that is sold with that jacket from J.Crew that is her only option. I think that is reasonable. If the belt broke by no fault of the OP’s (i.e., it was defective, not showing reasonable wear and tear), I would think it was unreasonable to give this response, but that’s not the situation the OP is in.

Hah, I’m so over Comcast, and starting to feel the same about J. Crew. Their clothing just isn’t worth what they charge, and I’ve not been impressed with their “customer service”. They charge Nordstrom prices on an Old Navy model of service.

Dude, I would totally call them and complain. Go up the chain until they get you a new one (for what, like $5 or $10?)

My J. Crew complaining story: once I moved and the J Crew card (which I had at the time) didn’t update its address despite my doing so with them, and they sent the account to collections since I hadn’t gotten any of the bills. So I sent Mickey Drexler a letter on my law firm stationery demanding that they remove the report from my credit report. And they did! I was very pleased. We were buying a house at the time and I was glad to have a better credit score for the mortgage after they removed that report (that’s how I found out about it in the first place).

Genuine hypothetical question: do the rules change if you are a partner? I get that Alicia shouldn’t use the Stern, Lockhart & Gardner stationary for her J.Crew complaints, but what about the Florrick & Agos stationary? (Though I think Mickey Drexler would probably reply to From The Desk of Alicia just as well).

If you use the letterhead and you haven’t opened a file (including proper conflict checks) you could be in serious trouble. Your malpractice insurance carrier would not be pleased. Imagine if the guy down the hall had just signed J. Crew (or Mickey Drexler on an estate planning matter) as a client and you didn’t know about it. Now you just sent a letter like that to your firm’s client. Never do it. Its bad practice.

Did you escalate it up the customer service chain? I’ve found recently that if call you are often routed to a person who simply handles orders and returns (and therefore wouldn’t be able to help you with anything more than ordering something else for you) while the actual customer service department involves being transfered to a different number/ department. So try googling for customer service to see if there is a different number you could call.

Alternately – check goodwill for either a belt or a coat that still has its belt?

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone. I may try calling up the chain, but it doesn’t seem promising. I think a tailor may be my best bet, although it might take some searching to find nylon like this for sale.

Why not get a cool belt that is the same/complimenting color and a different fabric? If it’s the jcrew one I’m thinking of, the nylon belt looks so flimsy and cheap anyway, especially in trying to hold in the puffy coat. Why not do a seatbelt fabric belt or a leather one with both being perfectly measured to your waist (i.e. not able to tie or adjust so it looks purposeful) or a stretchy thick one that again cinches to your waist?

I wouldn’t expect J.Crew to replace the belt in this situation either. You could buy this shirt for the belt http://www.jcpenney.com/worthington-belted-peplum-top-tall/prod.jump?ppId=pp5004221328&cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-J84DHJLQkR4-_-23445130091-_-15&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=J84DHJLQkR4&utm_campaign=23445130091&utm_content=15&cvosrc=affiliate.J84DHJLQkR4.23445130091_15&siteID=J84DHJLQkR4-FL7lBlMMvlS7prUvZHL0Gw
The faux leather is on trend and would be ok in the elements.

I’ve had two dresses on my wish list and hoping for help finding them. One, someone posted a black watch plaid sheath from Anne Klein a few weeks ago. I ordered it, but they said they were unable to fulfill the order. It’s already down from their webs!te, but I’d love to find another dress like it.

Also, I like the Women’s Faux-Leather-Pocket Shift Dress from Old Navy, but I think the pockets are at a weird height. I’d like something similar, but with the pockets near the hem.

Willing to pay up to $200 for the first and ~$100 for the second. TIA!

Is this the plaid dress? http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/anne-klein-plaid-sheath-dress/3820585?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_ite=anne_klein_plaid_sheath_dress:816140&cm_pla=dresses:women:dress&cm_ven=Linkshare&siteId=J84DHJLQkR4-hxgmOfrkSrX3TtEndawABA

What would you do if you received an email from a stranger with the words “Does this lying cheating bastard belong to you???” with a picture of the her and your ex (who has been trying to get back together with you) attached. Picture has the caption “I love you” at the bottom complete with a colorful border with love hearts. He actually contacted me this person asking me not to respond to any “random person” who might contact me. But somehow I am curious….

Are you currently involved with or considering becoming involved with ex? If no, I agree with Anon @ 12:20, delete and ignore. If yes, find out whether this woman is a current GF or the relationship ended a while ago (as in, before the two of you started talking again). It’s a bit of a red flag for me that ex wasn’t totally up front with you when he said a “random person” might contact you. She has a lovey dovey picture of them together, so obviously she’s not a “random person,” he had some kind of relationship with her. That doesn’t necessarily mean he cheated on her with you, but I would want to have some serious discussions about her before moving forward with him. Ask him about it and see what he says.